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Ilian
Ilian Ilain has a reputation for being a land of extremes, it was one of the last of the Young Kingdoms to join the Great Rebellion due to it's religous differences with the rest of the colonies. As well as their distrust for non-humans, for most of it's history Ilian has been left largely to itself. A land isolated by it's religion and rulers, thus over the last few decades the land has undergone a number of changes unnoticed (or uncared about) by the rest of the Young Kingdoms. The Theocracy of the Illumini A few decades ago, the Church of Ilian was on the verge of collapse. The King opposed them, plotting and resentful of their power, the peasants grumbled under the burden and oppression of their rule. And the priests themselves were tainted by corruption, but then in the wake of the Great Wars a darkness rose in the Golden Wood. An army of fiends and devils descended on quiet Ilian with a vengeance, wreaking havoc and ruin. The land teetered on the edge of collapse, and then it was revealed that the King along with a band of sorcerors had unleashed the beasts. At this time, the Father of the Gods broke his long silence. His servants joined him, and in an explosion of heavenly fury that shook the Church of Ilian to the core. The Illumini were born. The newly reborn church rallied the people of Ilian, destroying the demons and their servants in an orgy of magical violence before they broke the powerr of the throne and the government. Then amidst the smoking ruins of the Holy City, the High Priest of the Illumini cast down the High Sancristan, leader of the ancient Church of Senador. Senador, Father of the Gods, had been dying and consumed his children who gave themselves to restore his majesty. He had died because the people of Ilian had lost faith, because they betrayed the Gods. But that time was over as The Illumini would restore that faith, and repay wickedness with justice. The Throne was destroyed, and the servants of the Illumini would rule Ilian in the name of the God. Since that time, the priests of Illumini have guided Ilian and protected the land from it's enemies. Unlike the priests of the Senadori, the clerics of the Illumini do not seem to lack in clerical magic, and the servants of the God appear at their command. As such, few in Ilian question their benevolent if harsh rule. The High Priest of the Illumini rules the land supported by his Bishops, each of him rule over a heirarchy that extends down to each temple and shrine. They oversee the defense of the realm, and guide the military of Ilian. The clergy rule the courts, as every judge is a priest of the order. The Swords of Light Long ago Ilian was protected by a fierce order of warriors known as the Children of the Sword. These warriors were the priests and clerics of the God Charkon, Son of Senador, Marshal of the Senadori. Nearly 200 years ago, the last known cleric of the Order died in battle, and Charkon fell silent. The Children of the Sword carried on with their duties, permitting no one beyond their order to carry weapons without a permit. Forcing any who wished to join them to take long, greuling tests that few passed. And when the Darkness awoke, the outnumbered and thinly spread Children of the Sword were swiftly destroyed. In the wake of their collapse, the Illumini bade his servants to raise an army and he would guide them to victory. Thus the Swords of Light arose, a band of soldiers not chosen to fight for Ilian. But those who choose to defend the Realm and carry the words of the Illumini, led by Paladins and martial minded clerics the Swords of Light descend on their enemies like the hammer of the Illumini. They are without mercy, and know should they die they will soon stand before the Celestial Throne shrouded in glory. Geography The Goldenwood (The Hell-Lands) Once the Goldenwood was a large beautiful forest tended by the druids of Senador, and considered sacred ground. However, what the Church had forgotten was why. The Goldenwood was a portal to infernal nether-realms where the Senadori had once crushed an army of demons and fallen gods, the portal was sealed shut. The wood was a sign of the victory, and the wood itself was to guard it. But as the clerics of the Senadori lost their powers and fell to corruption, the wood slowly declined. As the Children of the Sword waged vicious wars and crusades against the few elves who dwelled there, who were ancient allies of the Senadori, the seals were weakened. And then one fateful night, the King made a foul bargain and the last of the ancient seals was broken. The demons and their armies were freed, and all of Ilian was plunged into Hell. Since that day many regions of the proud Goldenwood are still haunted by demons, dark creatures dwell in their twisted and blighted shadows. And the southern reaches of the Forest are known as the Hell Lands. The dark reaches of the Goldenwood are in fact, the best defense against the Legions of the Draconis Empire who fear the touch of hell as much as the Swords of Light. The Golden Tower The Golden Tower was once the home of Ilian's order of magi, but in the wake of the Demon War the tower was torn down. The wizards were not trusted by the church, and for good reason. Working in alliance with the King, they unleashed the full fury of the Demonic Horde against Ilian. They were put down during the battle, and the final conflict of the war was the horrible Battle of the Golden Tower. The Illumini and the Swords of Light lost many of their number in bringing the wizards to righteous justice, and the land is still haunted by many restless spirits. The tower itself is said to be filled with portals to strange worlds, and it's burned out husk is guarded by a small battalion of the Swords led by a powerful priest to guard against it's evils. Senadorinth The city of Senadorinth was once the holy city of the Old Order of Senador, and it suffered heavily during the Demon War. In the wake of the war the forces of the Illumini led a siege of the city. Senadorinth fell into ruin, large sections of it ruined in the ensuing battle as the old corrupt church unleashed every weapon at their disposal against the New Order. But soon enough the Swords of Light had brought them low, today Senadorinth is a burned out ruin. Most of it's inhabitants are gone, and the few who remain live in the shadow of past glory. Supposedly, a few remnants of the High Sancristan's followers hid in the ruins, but most doubt these rumors. Venaris, the City of Seven Towers Venaris was once the headquarters of the Children of the Sword, but is now regarded as the birthplace of the Illumini. It is the new capitol of the nation. Ringed by six outer towers around what is now called the Spire of Light. It is the home of the High Priest, and guarded by the Six Templars and their legions. The Six are the most powerful paladins of the Swords of Light, and their legions are the strong right arm of the Order. Venaris did not fall during the Demon War, and the leaders of the Children were among the first to be sworn to the Illumini sparing it from a war during the Uprising. The Ban In Ilian the use of magic, sorcery, and psionics are banned. Those who dare to unleash such forces soon find themselves pursued by one of the fanatical Witch-Hunters of the Illumini. The Ban was loosened in the days before the Demon War, but since then it has came back with a vengeance. The Ban also places strong restrictions on the movements of non-humans, and any and all clerics of other faiths. This is actually an improvement from the days where those who did not serve Senador were banned on pain of death. But the servants of the Illumini look down with pity on those gods who did not give themselves over to the Illumini. The few wizards who serve the Illumini are bound to the High Priest by powerul spells to enforce their loyalty. History The Land of Ilian's ancient line of Kings ended when the Church rose up to overthrow Regat the Mad in the name of Senador. This began a period of the Church selecting rulers from the few remaining noble houses of the Realm. The descendants of Regat attempted to reclaim the throne during the War of the Golden Sun, which raged until the leaders of the coup were driven to Arkaria. The church ruled over the land until it began a slow decline in power as it's clerics started to lose their divine power. Their magic faded, and as they gathered more and more corporal power before becoming a corrupt power hungry force of brutality. The Demon War, led by the Chruch's corrupt installed king was the final straw. In the wake of the King's revolt, the uprising of the citizens, and the assault of Demonic Forces the church and the Realm started to fall. But then the birth of the Illumini came, and the newborn God's followers quickly turned the tides of the war. Since that time, the land has been quietly rebuilding. In the wake of the Draconis Crusade, the Swords of Light have crushed the Imperial Advance at the Eldraksta border. They have been allied at times with their ancient enemies the Agornians and the Kanarrians to defeat the Imperial war machine. The main source of their fury seems to the raising of the founder of the Empire to Godhood, no man should claim what belongs to the Father of the Gods.